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Originally founded in the middle of the 1800's as a sugan plantation, Sugar Land was incorporated in 1959. Sugar Land is the fastest growing city in the Houston metropolitan area (downtown Houston is a short 20 miles to the northeast). Covering 24.1 square miles, the local government is a Council-Manager format, and the City provides police and fire protection as well as water utilities, refuse collection and recycling, parks and recreational facilities, and administrates a regional airport. With a population pushing 75,000, the area is primarily residential (72% by zoning) with the remainder being made up of commerical (about 17%) and industrial (about 11%).
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Sugar Land Education
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Sugar Land is located in the Fort Bend Independent School District (FBSID). FBSID offers an outstanding education for almost 70,000 students in 62 schools including 37 elementary schools, 12 middle schools, 10 high schools, and 3 specialized schools. The schools focus on student achievement and offer a culturally diverse opportunity for learning in over 80 different languages!
In addition to the FBSID public school district, Sugar Land also has several private schools. Six grade schools include St Laurence the Martyr, Honor Roll School II, 1st United Methodist, Faith Lutheran School, Kingsbridge Christian Academy and Riverbend Montessori School. There is also one private high school, Fort Bend Baptist Academy.
Higher education is easy to find with seven colleges and universities within 20 miles of Sugar Land. The largest of these are the University of Houston - University Park serving over 25,000 students, and the Houston Community College System serving over 21,000 students. Additionally, schools ranging in size from 2,000 to 7,000 students each include University of Houston - Downtown, Texas Southern University, Rice University, University of St. Thomas and Houston Baptist University.
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Sugar Land Employment
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A low tax structure and business incentive programs mixed with a strong workforce and an excellent quality of life are just a few reasons that Sugar Land is able to attract major corporations in industries like construction and engineering, energy and communications, technology and electronics. Relocation is very strong for diverse regional and international businesses forming a strong foundation for successful companies to call home as one of the fastest growing cities in Texas.
Some of the major corporations that are currently operating in Sugar Land include: ABB, Aetna US Healthcare, Amerisource, Applied Optoelectronics, Baker Petrolite, Boise Cascade, Camelot Desserts, Crown Cork & Seal, DCSS, ECO Resources, Fairfield Industries, Fluor Corporation, Granite Properties, Healix, Imperial Holly, MCI Communications, National Oilwell, Noble Drilling, ONDEO Nalco, Sabic Americas, Schlumberger Companies, Sugarland Properties, Suntron Corp., Tramontina and UNOCAL Corporation.
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Sugar Land History
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The City of Sugar Land was originally called Oakland due to the large number and variety of oak trees throughout the area. Samuel Williams, a Spanish-speaking and educated man, received the land as a grant from the Mexican government. Sugar farming was the primary way of life with the cane stalks having been brought initially from Cuba. A mill was eventually built to extract the sugar from the cane and presently a refinery is now in the same location as the first mill. The milling business changed hands to two entrepreneurs, Benjamin Terry and William Kyle, who had made a large share of fortune in California gold prospecting. They purchased the Oakland planation from the Williams family and renamed the area Sugar Land, as it is known today. When railways were being built nearby, Terry and Kyle spent large sums of money in cash to ensure that Sugar Land was connected! By the 1860's, the area was valued at $250,000 and began to pass to several ownerships until the fallof 1959. At that time, the City of Sugar Land was incorporated and Mayor T.E. Harman was elected along with 5 aldermen. The city was governed under General Law until 1981 when home-rule was established with a mayor-council government format. This was revised in 1985 to a council-manager format giving more power to the popular committee. The final change to government was in 1990 when a City Council was formed with a Mayor, 4 councilmembers represending single-member districts and 2 councilmembers-at-large.
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Sugar Land Nature
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Sugar Land is home to some beautiful natural resources. Lakes in the area are Alkire Lake, Char Lake, Eldridge Lake, Brooks Lake, Venetian Lake, Cleveland Lake, Horseshoe Lake, Horseshoe, Alkire and Eldridge Lake. There are also streams, rivers, and creeks like Bullhead Bayou and Browns Bayou.
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Sugar Land News
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Search for "Sugar Land TX" - GE Signs $3 Billion Power Generation Agreement with Iraq - F&M Magazine
| GE Energy , a subsidiary of General Electric , has signed a $3 billion contract with Iraq's government to supply power generation equipment and services. |
- Beijing to Invest $1.02 Billion for 56 Transformer Stations in the Next Two Years - F&M Magazine
| Beijing is planning to invest $1.02 billion for 56 transformer stations in the next two years. |
- Mingyang Wind Power Signs Agreement with Six Developers for Supply of Wind Turbines - F&M Magazine
| Guangdong Mingyang Wind Power Technology Company Limited, one of the major wind power manufacturers in China and a subsidiary of Guangdong Mingyang Electric Group Company Limited, headquartered in Zhongshan ... |
- Family-friendly New Year's Eve gatherings - North Channel Sentinel
| For those looking for a place to celebrate the New Year in a family-friendly atmosphere, the North Channel Sentinel's news partner, ABC-13, has listed some local places you might want to consider. |
- Algeria Invests $1.5 Billion to Revamp Railway Network - F&M Magazine
| Algerian railways will soon get a makeover, with the government planning investments of $1.5 billion toward modernization and expansion of the rail network. |
- North American Industrial Project Spending Index Jumps to 13.73 Percent in November - F&M Magazine
| After dipping to its lowest point in nearly three years in October, the North American Industrial Project Spending Index, measuring project spending growth, rose to 13.73 percent in November 2008. |
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Sugar Land Recreation
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The Sugar Land City Department of Parks and Recreation provides excellent places to relax and enjoy the local community. For further details on any of the City's facilities, feel free to call (281) 275-2885.
The Brazos River Corridor is a new development of parkland on 529 acres! City Park, at 225 Seventh Street, includes daytime recreation including a pool, playground, sand vollyball, and horseshoes as well as lighted recreation such as baseball fields, a skate park, tennis courts, all served by a concession stand, a meeting room and storage building. At 230 Matlage Way is Imperial Park, featuring 9 softball fields, batting cages, and indoor facilities for meetings.
Eldridge Park, at 2511 Eldridge Road, is a 42-acre community park with facilities including a meeting room, picnic pavilion, concessions and restrooms, a playground, 10 soccer fields, five-acre pond with pier fishing and plenty of parking. 22 acres of park and a large conference center are available at First Colony Park, 3232 Austin Parkway, featuring 7 lighted and 2 unlighted baseball fields, batting cages, concession stands, a playground, and picnic area.
Lost Creek Park at 3703 Lost Creek Blvd is a 21-acre park with 7 soccer fields, a large children's play structure, a small meeting room and picnic pavilion with concessions. The Oyster Creek Trail, a three-mile foot or bike path, connects Lost Creek Park with Oyster Creek Park. Oyster Creek Park features a recently constructed stage that is home to Red White and Bluefest, the park department's Concert Series and other special events.
A beautiful homestead can be found at Duhacsek Park at 17034 Old Richmond Road. The facility can be used for small groups and is filled with hand-grafted pecan trees including the third largest Texas!
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Sugar Land Transportation
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The primary airport in the area is the local-operated Sugar Land Regional (SGR). In addition, major commercial air service can be found in Houston at William Hobby (HOU), George Bush Intercontinental (IAH), ane Ellington Field (EFD).
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Sugar Land Weather
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